There is nobody that enjoys talking college basketball in late February than The Buckeye Battle Cry Radio Hour. Yesterday, we talked Ohio State basketball with tBBC Editor Ken Kohl. Today, we bring you another great roundball discussion about ESPN and BTN College Basketball Analyst Jon Crispin. Crispin, who has called a ton of basketball games […]

There is nobody that enjoys talking college basketball in late February than The Buckeye Battle Cry Radio Hour. Yesterday, we talked Ohio State basketball with tBBC Editor Ken Kohl.

Today, we bring you another great roundball discussion about ESPN and BTN College Basketball Analyst Jon Crispin.

Crispin, who has called a ton of basketball games this season for ESPN and BTN, stopped by to talk about the gut check time of the season, when teams either play their way in or out of the post season.

Some of the Topics we discussed include:

The recent VCU/Richmond game that he broadcasted on Wednesday and the double overtime ending where fouling late in the game played a factor.

The coaching, player and competitive parity of the Atlantic 10 conference and just how good some of the teams in the league really are.

Who the Best Player Jon has seen play this season.

Is there a matchup that could put some fear into Kentucky’s dream of a National title.

Where Gonzaga sits in the discussion of potential Number one seeds in the NCAA Tournament.

How the B1G is the most competitive conference in the country.

The latest talks of the B1G discussing freshman ineligibility.

And Crispin Basketball, the program that he and his brother have built up to help better the game of college basketball.

Plus, so much more.

As always, thanks for listening to The Buckeye Battle Cry Radio Hour. You can find us on iTunes, where we are always excited to hear your comments and feedback on the show. Feel free to rate and subscribe the show.

To listen to this week’s show, click play below. To download the show directly, click here.

There are only two weeks left in the regular season of college football. It is hard to believe how fast things have been moving. The Buckeyes return home for the final two regular season games of 2014 starting with Indiana and closing out with, as always, TTUN in The Game. We’ll talk about Minnesota, ponder […]

There are only two weeks left in the regular season of college football. It is hard to believe how fast things have been moving. The Buckeyes return home for the final two regular season games of 2014 starting with Indiana and closing out with, as always, TTUN in The Game. We’ll talk about Minnesota, ponder some playoff thoughts and even talk to Chris Fowler (not literally on that last one).

It’s Wednesday, let’s rumble!

This Texas kid handled the weather just fine

Back to the snow

The weather was all that anyone wanted to talk about leading up to and after Saturday’s game with the 25th ranked Minnesota Golden Gophers. And to some extent, rightfully so. It was frighteningly cold with a blowing wind, snow falling and everything on the property had been twice frozen over for nearly a week.

The good news is that our guys were mentally tough and seemed to not let it affect them. Joey Bosa spoke after the game (and I’m paraphrasing) about how once you’re out there and moving, focused on the game that you don’t even realize the weather is what it is. And I can understand that, it makes sense. Football is great to play because it’s a game where once you’re in it everything else can just drift away.

Easing off the gas

It’s concerning to me that Saturday the Buckeyes had several chances to really blow the game open and instead appeared to ease up and allow the Gophers to get reengaged.

If you’ve read this column over any extended period of time, you know that one of my biggest concerns throughout 2013 was complacency. Too often the Buckeyes came out slow or seemingly uninterested. Too often they would get a lead and allow the opponent to hang around and make it somewhat close toward the end. Too often there was a serious lack of enthusiasm and killer instinct.

Urban Meyer in the snow

You can’t just “decide” that for one game in particular you’re going to crank it up and blow someone’s doors off. Case in point being last season Big Ten Championship game and the Orange Bowl. It has to be a mindset that starts on the practice field and works its way up until things are ready to boil over by kickoff on Saturday.

The good news is that we haven’t had to discuss that once this year. This team has kept the proverbial hammer down and at times gotten even a bit too carried away with excitement and celebration. Until Saturday.

Now, it could have been the weather playing a part, but late in the first quarter and then again late in the third quarter the Buckeyes had the chance to really put the Gophers away and come out of Hoth with a playoff committee pleasing high score win. Instead of choking the Gophers out, they seemed to ease up on the throttle and let them back into the game.

My hope is that the cold had an affect and was causing a sense of “ok, we’ve got this, lets get out of here.” Whatever the case, it will definitely be on my mind should the game (likely) start to get out of hand against Indiana. Will they stay involved, enthused and focused or start looking ahead to TTUN?

We all know what the committee selecting the four playoff teams wants to see, and that’s domination of opponents you should be dominating. And they especially want to see it down the stretch. Combining for 100 points in these last two weeks will be something the committee can’t ignore. Can they keep the pedal to the metal as has been the case for all of 2014 or was the perceived Minnesota let up a red flag?

The College Football Playoff Committee. Really, that’s them.

Speaking of the committee…

The Buckeyes have a huge opportunity in front of them as they are firmly in the conversation for the “final 4″. While the selection process is completely out of their hands, they need to make statements to support their cause.

Certainly, losses to some of the programs ahead of them will be of the greatest help, namely Florida State or Baylor and TCU getting knocked off. Help is going to be needed, but Ohio State must leave no doubt of their worthiness in matters they can control.

Out west Oregon State took care of Arizona State late Saturday night. Can the Aztecs knock out Oregon in the PAC-12 championship game? In the south, if Alabama wins out they’ll stay in one of the two the top spots because, well, it’s ridiculous, but because they’re Alabama and play in the supposedly vaunted SEC West. Now for sure, we make fun of them but to be fair, the SEC champion, whoever it is, is going to get a deserved spot in the top 4.

Are Nick Saban and the tide back on top to stay?

But before the Buckeyes can worry about who’s helping them, first and foremost they need a definitive, large score victory over Indiana at The Shoe on Saturday. And before you kind of snicker “well, it is Indiana”, here’s something to be reminded of: The Hoosiers pulled off one of the seasons most bizarre upsets of the year when they beat SEC East leading Missouri on their home field. So walloping the Hoosiers actually isn’t just a “yeah, everyone does that” kind of a win this year. No matter how bad they are now, these guys went on the road and beat an SEC division champion on their home turf.

Personally, I’m trying not to get too wrapped up in what is out of Ohio State’s control. I truly believe the mantra of “just keep winning and it’ll all work itself out” to be true. Remember, the Buckeyes were ranked 8th in 2007 after that terrible loss to Illinois at Ohio Stadium on November 10th and still managed to find themselves ranked number one and claimed a slot in the BCS Championship game when all the dust settled. And that was before the Big Ten had a conference championship game.

Just keep winning!

ESPN’s Chris Fowler

Fowler and his argument

I’ll make this brief. We all know about the “ESPN/SEC bias”. We see it every weekend on GameDay and in the ESPN weekly studio shows. We read headlines that say “Buckeyes survive” while “Alabama passes test” despite an equal matchup and a similar score. Denying that the brass at ESPN are pushing a pro SEC agenda on its staff is silly.

Recently, Chris Fowler spoke out about the “alleged” ESPN-SEC bias. It’s a hilarious rant during which he says that ESPN has nothing financial to gain from the SEC succeeding. Sure, nothing except their partnership with the SEC and the SEC Network, but I guess those dollars don’t count.

ESPN has a bias toward the SEC for a lot of reasons, but mainly these two:

1. The SEC Network

2. How do you make the SEC Network and the brand itself bigger? Diminish the value of the competition. This has been happening since the day the Big Ten took a deal with FOX Sports to launch the Big Ten Network shunning “the worldwide leader” from its attempt to control hometown college sports broadcasting in the TV rating rich Midwest and New York areas.

The CBS television deal with the SEC allows them to have first pick/decide what is the biggest game of the week. To attract eyes to the second tier game on ESPN and mid/lower level games on the SECN, you have to build the brand and make a monster of it.

Before we get too far into it and you assume I’m just pontificating, here is hard data from an article written in 2012 dispelling the myth of SEC dominance. And here are what some of you will consider shocking numbers:

SEC vs. PAC-12 regular season: 10-12

SEC vs. PAC-12 bowl games: 1-0

SEC vs. Big 12 regular season: 6-10

SEC vs. Big 12 bowl games: 21-8

SEC vs.ACC regular season: 42-36

SEC vs. ACC bowl games: 16-9

SEC vs. Big 10 regular season: 7-4

SEC vs. Big 10 bowl games: 19-19

SEC vs. Big East regular season: 16-15

SEC vs. Big East bowl game: 3-8

(note: BCS era from 1998-2012, I’m too lazy to update it)

So, how is someone not in the region persuaded to choose to watch Tennessee vs South Carolina instead of Penn State vs Iowa if they’re all ranked relatively equal? Because they are hammered with how great the competition is from top to bottom week in and week out in the SEC. It’s been happening over the course of about 7-8 years and it’s working.

Diminish the value of the other products. Don’t think it’s working? Tell me you haven’t experienced this more than, oh, let’s say 1000 times: I find that, in general, If people don’t have a rooting interest in one of the teams in the Big Ten example from above they’re likely to watch the SEC matchup due to being conditioned from a repeated onslaught of how great the SEC game is going to be. Furthermore, these same people will even argue with anyone who tells them that the Big Ten game might actually have better teams. And what is the basis of their argument for the SEC game is “must see”? “They (the SEC) play the best teams and competition week in and week out.” Very scientific, Albert Einstein, but I’ve heard it a zillion times. Now, lie to me and tell me you don’t know people like this.

This guy and whoever wrote this are going mysteriously disappear from ESPN television

Back to Fowler. He seems uninterested in the points and stats above. He also denies the company pushing an agenda. Fine, keep your head buried in the sand if you like.

Here’s what Fowler really seems to take offense to: The notion that he and his cohorts on GameDay are pushing the SEC bias. And to be honest, I don’t think he is consciously making the decision to do so. I think in his mind, he and Kirk Herbstriet and Lee Corso are calling it as they see it. And quite frankly, for the most part they are. But they aren’t the only ones on television at the network. They also aren’t the ones deciding segment assignments and writing headlines etc and etc..

So Chris, believe me when I say we understand it isn’t you. I’m not arguing you being fair and balanced. Because, as you told me on twitter, you don’t speak for a “global, multi platform network and headline writers”. But here’s a tip: Instead of being upset at the idea, how about realizing that maybe people are vocalizing this to you because they see that you call it fair and can’t believe someone with your integrity would be a part of something so disingenuous.

Try that on for size, Chris.

Wrap it up

One more until Hate Week officially begins. That said, nobody can overlook the Hoosiers. Until next week, Go Bucks!

Metallica track of the week

The movie Metallica Through The Never is just over a year old. It is easily one of the most unique concert movie experiences I’ve ever seen, and not just because I’m a nut for the band. It’s unique on stage perspectives and incredible sound, mixed with it being in 3D IMAX blew you out of your seat in theaters. The narrative story that goes with the concert is engaging. This small box doesn’t do it nearly the justice it deserves, but here’s a clip from Through The Never that features the intro to Wherever I May Roam and the song Cyanide!

This is a cross post from the folks at Bloguin’s “The Student Section”... Hashtag Boycott College GameDay. Or #BoycottCollegeGameDay. I’m serious, if you are. Imagine the scene for those of you that actually watch ESPN’s College GameDay with any regularity. The three or four guys wake up, get out of their truck all chock-full of […]

Hashtag Boycott College GameDay. Or #BoycottCollegeGameDay. I’m serious, if you are.

Imagine the scene for those of you that actually watch ESPN’s College GameDay with any regularity. The three or four guys wake up, get out of their truck all chock-full of fresh makeup and coffee, assume their normal positions, and then all at once get that look on their faces like someone in the boardroom farted and you’re trying to figure out who it is.

Why? Because in the background is nary a sign, fan, or flag. It’s all just a gorgeous parking lot landscape.

*

The show is set up to attend Michigan State versus Ohio State in East Lansing, Mich., this weekend. Over the course of the last month or so, one of the most white-hot issues surrounding college football is the perceived #SECBias that ESPN personalities have, and whether or not the CFB Playoff committee will acquiesce to that line of thinking or ignore it completely.

College football social media has devolved into two groups:

1. The group that is hell-bent on finding proof of ESPN’s #SECBias.

2. Media calling the first group “idiotic” because they want to work for ESPN.

For all those Midwest fans who genuinely think there’s an SEC Bias (with a capital B — it’s that big a problem), prove how much it matters to you.

#BoycottCollegeGameday.

First, SEC Bias at ESPN is a real thing.

The media is going to tell you it’s not, because:

1. See the two groups mentioned above;

2. it’s like anything else in life: media protects media because they hang around media and are buddies with media. It’s no different than bankers supporting bankers, coaches supporting coaches, St. Louis Rams fans supporting St. Louis Rams fans. Tribes stick together.

Why it’s a real thing, though, isn’t because ESPN personalities realize Southern belles are prettier, think the food is better, or like the atmosphere more. It’s the bottom line. We’ve been through this before. ESPN personalities can honk off about how college football would be at peak interest level if the Big Ten was better than it is, but it’s a shell game argument, because the Big Ten being what the SEC is perceived to be now means less money in ESPN’s pockets and more in a competitor’s.

Fox Sports owns 51 percent of the Big Ten Network, whereas ESPN owns 80 percent of the SEC Network. It only makes sense to want more interest for your biggest brand. Truthfully, if ESPN didn’t have an SEC bias, it’d be fiscally ignorant. If nothing else, ESPN is in control of its own faculties when it comes to finances.

The interesting part of all this is that ESPN actually has taken time to address it and then get #support from all media figures who don’t want the stink eye at the next press conference, and/or the risk of being blackballed from working for the network.

ESPN’s Chris Fowler famously defended the #SECBias thing by calling out the consumers who said it exists. This brings us to the next layer of this story.

In business, the mantra is, “The customer is always right.” That’s a moving target based on the size of the company, but the overall lesson is mostly the same. Lowe’s or Menard’s can afford to have the customer not always be right more than Bob’s Shack of Tools at the end of the road, because the collateral damage of losing one customer to them isn’t the same as to Bob, who does far less business.

Consumable media is different, however, and ESPN is smart enough to understand its role. Whereas most of us don’t go to a restaurant if we hate the food and the service sucks, or don’t go to a concert if we hate the band’s music and it performs lousy live, ESPN is able to do the opposite of that and rake in the customer even more.

Putting out things that irritate the consumer has worked for years at ESPN, most notably with the hideously awful show “First Take.” The more pissed off people are, the more they tune in to be outraged. Why that is, I’ll never know. Some Internet sociologist with a degree from Google Search Engine University might have your answer, so ask him.

The other reason it works is that ESPN lacks any competition, and you can pretty much do whatever you want when the consumers have no other place to turn for something they crave. If you love cheeseburgers and McDonald’s is the only restaurant within a 50-mile radius, the staff can drop-kick the sandwiches into your car through the drive thru … you’re still coming back.

Attacking the SEC Bias thing serves a dual purpose for ESPN: it helps the company create a story everyone is talking about, a story it can disseminate through every radio show, blog, and SportsCenter episode to keep assuring viewers that they’re “creating the news.” This also keeps the network itself at the forefront of discussion in the sports talk world, on both ESPN’s broadcasts and those of its competitors.

So while the customer is always right, ESPN can afford to not really care. Now, groups of customers are way more right than an individual customer, and this is where if they really wanted to, the fans of Michigan State and Ohio State can change the narrative they so deeply hate, the narrative that has steadily become more entrenched in Bristol since 2007 and the rise of Tim Tebow.

The truth is, large numbers of pissed people moves your bottom line. Both schools need only look at their rival fan base in Ann Arbor to see how strength in numbers being angry gets things done. One fan has no power; 100,000 fans have plenty.

To show dissatisfaction with a host of athletic department decisions, Michigan fans simply showed they weren’t going to stand for it with their wallets. Nearly 20,000 fewer season ticket requests later — plus more losing, more people not showing up, the threat of a boycott, and a rally outside the President’s house to fire the AD — he’s gone now. If you think fan reaction didn’t have anything to do with it all, you’re nuttier than a squirrel turd.

*

It’s worth asking the question: Will MSU and OSU fans actually boycott? Not a chance in hell.

For one, people are self serving and want to see themselves on television, so they’ll show up. For two, very few people have the sack to stand for anything anymore, especially when it might be viewed as unpopular.

Boycotting College GameDay would assuredly get the brass at ESPN to notice, but it means large groups of people standing up for something collectively that might not be as easy or fun as just dealing with it and going anyway.

Standing up for things is hard; rolling out of bed and making a mixed drink and a pretend clever sign and waving it around for a few hours is not.

I’ll hold out hope, though. If there’s any place where a grassroots, last-second movement can gain traction, it’s a college campus. If fans are really outraged about perceived #SECBias, they can do something about it with their time and wallets. Go to the game, cheer your guts out for your school, but do something else Saturday morning.

If fans really think #SECBias exists, great. If they don’t, all the same, great. However, if you’re mad about something … anything … understand you have the power to do something about it. Apathy is the bedfellow of the status quo.

Do whatever you young people do these days to try and fruitlessly force change. Hashtag it, message-board talk about it, whatever. But #BoycottCollegeGameday if you care that much. Share it on Twitter, Facebook, Instasnap or whatever they are. (It’s easy to lose track with all the names as they blur together.)

But as with anything else, don’t complain about things if you’re unwilling to change them. Come along. #BoycottCollegeGameday this Saturday.

Stand for something… and stand anywhere except in the vicinity of ESPN’s broadcast setup near Spartan Stadium at 9:00 in the morning.

]]>http://thebuckeyebattlecry.com/college-football/hashtag-boycottcollegegameday.html/feed0Silver Bullet Points Salutes Youhttp://thebuckeyebattlecry.com/college-football/ohio-state-football/silver-bullet-points-salutes-you.html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=silver-bullet-points-salutes-you
http://thebuckeyebattlecry.com/college-football/ohio-state-football/silver-bullet-points-salutes-you.html#commentsWed, 16 Apr 2014 11:54:13 +0000http://www.thebuckeyebattlecry.com/?p=44409Those of you who play along with us during Fall liveblogs know my propensity for helping make stadium sound effects on third down as a way to manage my ADD help the team. As such, today’s news hit me with a bit of both nostalgia and sadness… The band that gave us the bell may […]

Cultural Shift- We’ve heard a lot about Ohio State’s work to build on the culture for the coming season and beyond. Get ready for soundbites galore regarding “4 to 6, A to B”… and Sammy Silverman highlights this in today’s graphical excellence:

]]>http://thebuckeyebattlecry.com/college-football/ohio-state-football/silver-bullet-points-salutes-you.html/feed3Is ESPN Responsible for the Rise of UConn?http://thebuckeyebattlecry.com/college-basketball/is-espn-responsible-for-the-rise-of-uconn.html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=is-espn-responsible-for-the-rise-of-uconn
http://thebuckeyebattlecry.com/college-basketball/is-espn-responsible-for-the-rise-of-uconn.html#commentsFri, 11 Apr 2014 15:00:55 +0000http://www.thebuckeyebattlecry.com/?p=44338As Mali mentioned earlier in the week, the two of us had a discussion during the UConn-Stanford women’s semifinal game about the potential role that ESPN may have played in the rise of Connecticut basketball to the lofty heights of being the only school to win the NCAA men’s and women’s basketball tournaments in the […]

As Mali mentioned earlier in the week, the two of us had a discussion during the UConn-Stanford women’s semifinal game about the potential role that ESPN may have played in the rise of Connecticut basketball to the lofty heights of being the only school to win the NCAA men’s and women’s basketball tournaments in the same year; the Huskies have now accomplished that feet twice, in 2004 and again this year.We all know how Nike money and favoritism has helped to build Oregon football into a major power and as Mali mentioned, the power of ESPN to shape college football is well known.This article isn’t meant to be sour grapes or to take anything away from UConn’s impressive accomplishments and the talented players and coaches they have assembled.Rather, it is meant to look at the power that tv networks can wield on the outcomes of the sports that they cover, something that is increasingly important to be aware of as conference realignment and expansion is now being driven by tv networks (see Big Ten expansion into the New York and DC markets).

Headquartered in Bristol, Connecticut, ESPN launched in 1979.Originally intended as a network to cover all sports in the state of Connecticut, the focus was changed to national sports coverage due to the affordability of distributing the network broadcast nationally via satellite.Despite struggling financially in its early years, ESPN began to become a major force in the sports world with the signing of contracts with the professional sports leagues: the NBA in 1982, the USFL in 1983, and ultimately the NFL in 1987.These contracts, along with the contract that ESPN had signed with the NCAA upon the network’s inception, set the sports network on the path to becoming the dominant media influence in modern sports.

UConn’s proximity to Bristol has certainly made them a favorite of ESPN.

Considering the original intention of ESPN’s creators to make a network that would focus on sports in the state of Connecticut, and its location in nearby Storrs, it isn’t surprising that ESPN and Connecticut have seemed to have a close relationship over the years and that people would wonder if that relationship was at least partially responsible for the success of Connecticut basketball.

Connecticut men’s basketball played their first game in 1901 and finished that first season with a 1-0 record, talk about a grueling schedule.Prior to the creation of ESPN, the Huskies had moderate but not spectacular success, winning 19 conference regular season championships and 2 conference tournament championships over a span of 76 years.During that time UConn appeared in 13 NCAA tournaments, reaching the Sweet 16 three times and the Elite Eight once.ESPN’s creation in 1979 didn’t coincide with an immediate increase in the success of the Huskies, in fact UConn didn’t make the NCAA tournament or win a conference championship again until 1990.However since then the Huskies have been one of the top programs in the NCAA, winning 10 regular season and 7 conference tournament championships in a span of 34 years.That marked a notable increase in conference tournament championships but only a slight increase in the rate of winning conference regular season championships, going from winning one ever 4 years before ESPN to winning one every 3.4 years afterwards.The biggest change in the Huskies fortunate came in the NCAA tournament where they made 19 appearance since 1979, reaching the Sweet 16 fourteen times, the Elite Eight 10 times, the Final Four 5 times, and winning 4 NCAA tournament titles.

While that seems like a remarkable increase in NCAA tournament success after the creation of ESPN, was the network responsible for that?Success certainly didn’t come immediately for the Huskies, in fact their performance dropped in the early years after the creation of ESPN as UConn went from winning the conference and making the NCAA tournament the season before the start of ESPN to only making the NIT the next three years and then not even breaking .500 for four straight seasons.Connecticut’s success seems far more tied to the hiring of Jim Calhoun as the head coach for the 1986-1987 season.Calhoun finished with a losing record his first season but led the team to the NIT the following year, starting a run of 18 straights seasons with an NIT or NCAA tournament appearance.

As successful as the Connecticut men’s basketball team, their accomplishments are dwarfed by what the Connecticut women’s basketball team has accomplished.Beginning play in the 1974-1975 season, the UConn women’s team did not enjoy immediate success, in fact the Huskies had losing seasons their first 6 years of existence and 11 of their first 12 seasons.The success of Connecticut women’s basketball is strongly tied to the hiring of Geno Auriemma as head coach for the 1985-1986 season.Like Calhoun, Auriemma finished below .500 his first season but would never have another losing season.The Huskies finally achieved their first bit of success in 1989 when they won their first conference regular season and tournament championship and made their first appearance in the NCAA tournament.From that point on things would never be the same for UConn as they have gone on to win 20 Big East regular season and tournament championships and make 26 appearances in the NCAA tournament, reaching the Sweet 16 twenty-two times, the Elite Eight 20 times, the Final Four 15 times, and won a record 9 NCAA tournaments.

While the success of the Connecticut men’s and women’s basketball teams seem to be most strongly tied to the hiring of Jim Calhoun and Geno Auriemma as head coaches, that doesn’t mean that ESPN hasn’t played an important role.Coaches that win rarely get fired, regardless of the reason they are winning, unless they are caught cheating of course.UConn, especially the women’s basketball team, has enjoyed greater coverage and exposure form ESPN than many other schools due to a combination of proximity and on court performance.This increased exposure has likely influenced many recruits over the years as we all know that a good number of recruits are excited by the idea of playing somewhere where they will receive large amounts of television time.Geno Auriemma has even acknowledged that importance of exposure from ESPN when discussing the first meeting between women’s basketball powerhouses UConn and Tennessee in 1995.At that time the Lady Volunteers was the major power in women’s basketball, having made 11 Final Fours and won 3 national titles while finishing as the runner-up 3 other times while Connecticut was a program on the rise.At that time women’s basketball was televised even more rarely than it is now so the fact that the meeting between these two teams in January of 1995 was shown nationwide on ESPN was a big deal.The Huskies would win that game 77-66 and would go on to beat Tennessee again a few months later to win their first national title.The exposure from that first game was huge as high school basketball players across the country saw UConn knock off the major power in women’s basketball and even Auriemma has gone on to acknowledge the role that played in recruiting in the following years.

Winning big games while being shown on television is obviously a big boost for any program and the more often a team is on tv, the better the odds are that they will be seen pulling off a big win.However the connection between UConn and ESPN hasn’t always been as simple as the Huskies getting more tv airtime.In 2008 it was revealed that Connecticut arranged a tour of ESPN for star recruit Maya Moore, something that constituted a secondary NCAA rules violation.While no other similar incidents have been confirmed, the fact that ESPN changed their tour policy to “prohibit high school athletes from receiving tours at the request of a college or university athletic official” seems to imply that similar tours had been arranged at the request of universities in the past.

Looking at the numbers, both the Connecticut men’s and women’s basketball teams have enjoyed far more success following the creation of ESPN than they did before the network came into existence and there is evidence that ESPN has been involved in helping the Huskies recruit, both through increased exposure and through at least one instance of a special tour being arranged.However, this cannot be taken as definitive proof that ESPN is majorly responsible for the rise of Connecticut basketball.The increase in success for both teams was also strongly tied to the hiring of new head coaches who have gone on to remarkably successful careers.Perhaps the strongest argument for ESPN not being a major factor is the overall lack of success of Connecticut football, even though it is located just as close to ESPN as the basketball teams.Still, it is almost impossible to dismiss the idea that ESPN played some role in the rise of UConn basketball and that it is important to understand the role that tv networks can play in the success of teams in this age of conference networks driving conference expansion and realignment.

]]>http://thebuckeyebattlecry.com/college-basketball/is-espn-responsible-for-the-rise-of-uconn.html/feed22Silver Bullet Points Goes Trophy Huntinghttp://thebuckeyebattlecry.com/college-football/ohio-state-football/silver-bullet-points-goes-trophy-hunting.html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=silver-bullet-points-goes-trophy-hunting
http://thebuckeyebattlecry.com/college-football/ohio-state-football/silver-bullet-points-goes-trophy-hunting.html#commentsThu, 05 Dec 2013 12:54:58 +0000http://www.thebuckeyebattlecry.com/?p=41056We’re in uncharted waters here… it’s really an odd feeling to have a game after THE GAME. If you’re heading to the game, be sure to check out a great blues bar downtown… these guys are playing this weekend! Buckeye 411 Meaningful Awards- Clair gave you the lowdown on the All Conference awards on Tuesday […]

Meaningful Awards- Clair gave you the lowdown on the All Conference awards on Tuesday morning; later that afternoon, the Offensive, Defensive, Freshman, and Coach of the Year accolades were handed out. Braxton repeated as the Offensive Player of the year, while Shazier was snubbed for Defensive POTY to Wisconsin’s Borland. The annual “Exceeded Expectations” award for Coach of the Year went to Michigan State’s Mark Dantonio. I actually don’t disagree with this, and am happy for ‘Dino, but am wondering if a Buckeye Coach will ever win this award- Cooper didn’t, Tressel didn’t, and now Meyer hasn’t after two undefeated seasons.

Got You Covered- Hey, if you happen to see a copy of this week’s Sports Illustrated at the store, can you pick one up for me? It’s Braxton’s third cover, and even it’s a regional one, it’s still pretty awesome (note: I retract that comment if the SI Jinx bites OSU on Saturday). Best part of the cover, as the guys at Eleven Warriors pointed out– Braxton is wearing his gold pants in The Game. Like a Boss.

Got You Covered, Part Two- If you’re headed to Indy, here’s what’s waiting for you for what I’m sure will be a fair price. tBBC’s Patrick will be on scene covering the festivities, and our friend Janelle will be there as a part of her internship as well. Stay tuned!

It Ain’t Braggin’- Speaking of the B1GCG, the matchup with Michigan State is going to be spectacular, and the Spartans are ready for it. I’ve joked with friends that one of the things that worries me about this is that OSU has been preparing all season to win a national title while MSU has been focused specifically on beating Buckeyes. You can hear some of that in quotes from the defensive backs, calling for a “no fly zone” and saying that any ball in the air belongs to them. Connor Cook also mentioned on Monday that watching the Michigan games made him excited to play the Buckeyes, and that he’d be “licking his chops” at thinking about going against the tarnished Silver Bullets. This season, the Spartans have certainly backed it up with excellent play on the field… like I said, this is going to be a spectacular matchup.

Not Convinced? Just watch this:

NCAA News And Notes

Damned Lies And Statistics: Pretty interesting research database from the Knight Commission this week, allowing folks to take a look at the spending involved at their favorite academic and athletic institutions. While we know that the money spent on football at places like Ohio State and Texas is pretty astounding, to see the numbers juxtaposed against dollars spent on the “average” student (many paying tuition, all key parts of the institutional mission) is pretty telling. You can look to see how your school does compared with others in the conference and across FBS… again, interesting for those of us who are trying to make sense of it all.

On one hand, I’m an Ohio State graduate. Anyone from Auburn, because they don’t know me, would rightly have a difficult time rationalizing my vote as impartial.

From another angle, I think that any unbeaten team from a major conference is preferable over a team that has lost. But is that rational? Even though R.J. Bell of Pregame.com estimated yesterday that OSU would be a 2-point favorite over Auburn, wouldn’t many of us disagree and make the Tigers a slight favorite? I would.

But how about this? I’m just gonna come out and say it because it’s the truth: I’m fed up with the SEC. I’m tired of Southerners who don’t care about anything but football, who can’t take care of their own poor, fat, litter-strewn, illiterate states, telling me the way it should be – about anything. And I’m tired of them crowing about their seven straight national titles. I want to see them suffer a little. How’s that for full disclosure?

Now, is that right? I’m admitting straight up I have a smoldering bias against Dixie and America’s best college football conference.

Big Wednesday? The twitters and intertrons were buzzing last night with rumors that Nick Saban had agreed to be the next head coach at Texas, something that’s been speculated about for the duration of this year. Could UT be waiting for the Baylor game to conclude before making this announcement, as Ohio State did with Urban Meyer and The Game? Or is this yet another part of the amazing carousel that always spins this time of year? Stay tuned…

Whoopsie…

Speaking Of ‘Bama- Florida State’s bookstore has some interesting new threads…

Big Thursday- Thursday, there will be a press conference regarding the Jameis Winston investigation, and you’ve got to think that this is positive news for the Seminole QB and Heisman frontrunner- you don’t call press conferences to arrest someone. I’ll be interested to see if Ohio State fans will give the same benefit of the doubt to Winston that they wanted given to Carlos Hyde earlier in the season. Admittedly, the two situations are quite different, but as fans we all tend to want “fairness” that benefits our favorite programs.

Familiar Faces- The coaching moves has started, with Washington’s Sarkisian headed back to LA to lead the Trojan program he was a part of under Pete Carroll. While this move is somewhat surprising, most Southern Cal fans seem to be most stunned by interim coach Orgeron’s resignation and departure from the program. With these moves, Washington leadership was rumored to be talking with UCLA’s Jim Mora; instead, he signed an extension to stay in Westwood. The Huskies now allegedly have turned to Boise State’s Chris Peterson and Alabama offensive coordinator Doug Mussmeier.

]]>Well, it’s certainly been an… interesting… day as far as news goes. But before we dive into the dregs of college sports (and those who “oversee” it), let’s enjoy the fact that it’s finally FOOTBAW! season. Here’s your “pump up”/palate cleanser before the season kicks off.

Buckeye 411

Captains, My Captains- Well, the news yesterday that Ohio State had named eight captains to start the season surely made Tom Bradford happy, although it did make the position seem a bit like the “everyone gets a trophy” phenomenon we see in youth soccer. My guess? Urban is looking to “spread the wealth” among several people since there’s no small group of standouts this season. At any rate, I’m ecstatic that Kenny Guiton will be getting the opportunity to lead, even as a “backup”. Smooth Jazz for everyone.

Wash It Down With Juice- Today, many lucky souls in the media got to experience the new food that will be enjoyed at the ‘Shoe this season. As you remember, the University ended their contract with Sodexho and is going a bit more local with Levy Restaurants for their fan- fare. Marcus Hartman has great coverage of the reason that I hated him all day on Tuesday… wonder what this will mean for the fitness of the two ushers on our staff? Luckily we have a fitness guru to keep them in shape.

Injury Report- Coach Meyer said on Wednesday that Defensive Lineman Tommy Schutt will miss 6-8 weeks with a broken foot; “Mr. Adaptability” Chase Farris will return to the Defensive Front from his tenure with Coach Warriner. Schutt had been working in with the first team as practice progressed this fall- here’s wishing him a quick recovery.

Basket Bucks- The B1G Hoops schedule was released today, and you’ve got to think that students were less than happy. The Buckeyes will face Maryland before Finals week, and then host Michigan State while most of the Nuthouse is on Spring Break.

We’ve got a “love-hate” relationship with the World Wide Leader, as you well know… they have a monopoly on college broadcasting, but give us Beth Mowins. In addition, it’s significant to note that they are not interested in reporting the news/stories, but in making profit. Which isn’t a bad thing, but it’s an important factor to consider when evaluating their work. If it gains readers/viewers, it makes money, true or not.

We knew that ESPN would provide a great venue for us to continue the conversation about Johnny Manziel that weekend,” said Jason Cook, a Texas A&M athletics executive.

The Times gets more specific in showing how Louisville, this year’s BCS Champion darkhorse (led by Heisman Candidate Teddy Bridgewater), owes the entirety of their program’s success to their willingness to jump whenever ESPN beckoned. Fantastic article if only for the reminder that John L. Smith used to know what he was doing. The article quotes an English Professor and other students worrying about the same thing we’ve talked about at this site: the athletic/academic balance-

“It is a little frustrating that when that side seems to be thriving, we on the other side are so dependent on the state and are dealing with cutbacks. I’d love it if the academics side could go to the athletics side, just once, and shake them and get some of that money.”

Others on campus point out that the construction boom has left some campus buildings behind. Last October, mold spores were found in one of the dorms, Miller Hall.

“You’ve got all this construction money going to athletics,” said Rae Hodge, a recent editor of the student newspaper, The Louisville Cardinal. “But the mold condition was so bad students had to move out.”

Especially in a time of growing concern over “bundling” and affordability for sports and cable packaging, it’s easy to realize that the network will become less about “journalism” and more about “propaganda”… although, the “E” does stand for “Entertainment”. So, as we get excited for yet another amazing college football season, let’s remember that what we see and talk about may not always be the “real” story.

Ok. On Wednesday, the Johnny Manziel “situation” was concluded with the NCAA and A&M agreeing that a suspension of the Heisman winning quarterback for the entirety and totality of the first half of the game against Rice would be sufficient punishment for his alleged transgressions.

While there was report after report after report after report that Mr. Manziel signed numerous autographs in multiple sessions for thousands of dollars in remuneration, the NCAA ultimately could not “prove” that he had received any compensation, and instead found him responsible for violatating the “spirit” of BiLaw 12.5.2.2.

Here’s the official statement. My favorite part is where the NCAA said that it was an “inadvertent violation”. I guess “inadvertent” means multiple times on multiple dates… I think I can incorporate that into my own life. “Well, Doc, I’ve inadvertently eaten my weight in pie over the past month. Whoopsie.”

Read the statement again– there are a couple of interesting things there. First, the NCAA hedges its language a bit, saying that the decision is “based on currently available information and statements by Manziel” and “If additional information comes to light, the NCAA will review and consider if further action is appropriate.” So, while this part of it may be over, I wonder if the folks who broke the story will continue to dig the way that they did when things were falling apart in Columbus.

Sooper Genius

Oh wait, ESPN broke the story. And they make money from televising SEC/aTm football. I’m sure that won’t have an impact <whistles while re-reading earlier ESPN section of SBP>.

Second, the half game suspension happened because “there is no evidence that quarterback Johnny Manziel received money in exchange for autographs”. Whew. If Devier Posey got five games for a little over $3, I’m sure glad that Manziel had nothing to hide.

What questions did the NCAA ask Manziel during the 6 hour interview, and what evidence did they have? While I don’t want to be cynical enough to believe that the Manziel family’s comments about Johnny signing lots of things for friends that were made in the ESPN piece that happened before the investigation came to light were merely cover given that they were probably aware that this situation might be headed for the media, I’d still like to know what Manziel’s answer to the following question was- “When you signed multiple items several times for persons who were working to certify them, what did you think those persons would do with those items?”

Does race/privilege play any role in this situation? A friend of mine sent me the following picture once this all hit the fan:

I don’t know who to credit this for, but will certainly do so if properly informed.

My thinking on the above statement is as follows: When Manziel first started his “summer of wonder” (Mardi Gras, NBA playoffs, Concerts, Etc.), many folks were quick to rationalize that these things were being paid for by his parents; that he could afford these opportunities without having to (improperly) benefit from his celebrity.

Another common thought regarding Wednesday’s news was that the NCAA felt pressured/intimidated by the Manziel’s legal team- it was noted weeks ago that the family had “lawyered up” for this moment. Does privilege create inequity in the ability to prepare or pressure in these types of situations?

While the tide of common opinion seems to have completely turned on the NCAA… why has Manziel become the poster boy for this rebellion? Is it because “we” can connect with what “he” represents… because he looks like “us”?

Again, I don’t have answers and will admit that I may be influenced in my thinking by the date in history… but if I’m not the only one asking this (and yes, I realize that agreeing with Clay Travis makes me a person of questionable intelligence), perhaps it’s something that should be considered.

Does Mike Slive have naked pictures of Mark Emmert? Seriously, there’s got to be a reason that SEC investigations result in wrist slaps, while everyone else gets hit hard. Missing from that picture above? Cam Newton.

Is it stupid to cooperate with the NCAA? For Ohio State fans, the decision was more than frustrating. I think former Buckeye Mike Adams’ take on things summed it up nicely:

A major difference between the Ohio State situation and that of Maziel- Ohio State discovered the transgressions during an internal audit, self reported to the NCAA, and then bent over backwards to give as much “cooperation” as they could. While that “cooperation” helped them avoid the “lack of institutional control” tag, you’ve got to wonder if it was worth it.

I’ve seen a number of college football fans make statements to that extent; that it’s smarter to just deny and deny and make the NCAA prove that something was amiss, then to fight the process throughout. “That’s what everyone else is doing”, they seem to say… but is that right.

Given that these types of situations are going to continue to be nightmares for college sports until the NCAA finds a way to subpoena outside parties and given that “cooperation” only seems to end up backfiring on the schools that choose to do it, I’m interested in your thoughts on this: Should schools continue to self monitor and self report as aggressively as some of them do?

Please comment below… I’ll hang up and listen.

So, with college football now upon us, we can finally get past the on field drama and play the games with the “students” who matter, right? At a surface level this is true, but I’m not yet convinced that we’ve heard the last of the Manziel/Autograph story this season.

Even if we never hear about it on the ESECPN again.

College Football Resources

This week, ne of tBBC Staff Email Discussions that managed to stay on topic today concerned the things we use for statistics and coverage outside of the “mainstream”, and things that shape our opinion. So, here’s what we’ve got thus far-

]]>http://thebuckeyebattlecry.com/college-football/ohio-state-football/eight-is-enough-for-silver-bullet-points.html/feed3Silver Bullet Points Treads Lightlyhttp://thebuckeyebattlecry.com/college-football/ohio-state-football/silver-bullet-points-treads-lightly.html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=silver-bullet-points-treads-lightly
http://thebuckeyebattlecry.com/college-football/ohio-state-football/silver-bullet-points-treads-lightly.html#commentsWed, 14 Aug 2013 11:54:11 +0000http://www.thebuckeyebattlecry.com/?p=36430Heisenberg’s words to Hank ring true for the remaining seven episodes, they also should sound as a warning for the rest of the B1G. There are still a lot of question marks on the Ohio State team as camp progresses… and if you don’t truly know who the Buckeyes are and what they are capable […]

]]>Heisenberg’s words to Hank ring true for the remaining seven episodes, they also should sound as a warning for the rest of the B1G. There are still a lot of question marks on the Ohio State team as camp progresses… and if you don’t truly know who the Buckeyes are and what they are capable of, well…

(You know, at some point I’ll probably write an SBP without a Breaking Bad reference… but today ain’t that day. Here’s your soundtrack.)

You Were Warned

Buckeye 411

#ZKL- While Dontre is getting tons of praise from his coaches and teammates, he’s not the only one who’s rising to the top of the incoming freshman class. Ezekiel Elliott has been singled out by Coach Meyer on several occasions recently, including today’s ESPN video interview (more later), as someone who’s going to play early. And, given that we’ve also heard that he ran a 4.33 at 220 pounds… you’ve got to be excited about what the pride of John Burroughs is bringing to the Scarlet and Gray.

Wyld Stallyns- I can admit it… I always envied Southern Cal’s stable of running backs during their dominance under Pete Carroll. And now, at Ohio State, well… look upon the coming apocalypse, B1G conference mates, and despair. That’s a pair and a spare pair and a couple more there. (Sorry… been reading a lot of Dr. Seuss to my daughters)

Which Is Good- We know that Carlos Hyde will be kept on the sidelines for at least three games, but there have also been several whispers and rumors that Rod Smith may also miss some time for team rule violations. Gerd clarified… sort of… but we’ll keep an eye on this. Again, just rumors at this point.

Welp, I broke my “I’m boycotting the WWL unless it’s for games” pledge today to catch some of the “Inside look” that College Football Live. I love that they sent Galloway (if only to get him away from Beth Mowins for a bit), but wish that someone would have “accidentally” let Brian Griese get in the way of a tackling drill.

While I’d love to have been one of the “well paid staff” that designed the “theme week” for Ohio State, I also wish they’d have let a zombie eat Joe Tessitore after he referred to a “Swamp” in Columbus.

And then Braxton calls out Griese for his lack of athletic ability pocket presence:

Again… I’m torn. I appreciate the coverage, but also am convinced that the Four Letter Network loves to “make” news, and Ohio State turns the dial.

]]>http://thebuckeyebattlecry.com/college-football/ohio-state-football/silver-bullet-points-treads-lightly.html/feed6Beat The Heat With Silver Bullet Pointshttp://thebuckeyebattlecry.com/college-football/ohio-state-football/beat-the-heat-with-silver-bullet-points.html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=beat-the-heat-with-silver-bullet-points
http://thebuckeyebattlecry.com/college-football/ohio-state-football/beat-the-heat-with-silver-bullet-points.html#commentsWed, 17 Jul 2013 11:54:40 +0000http://www.thebuckeyebattlecry.com/?p=35302Now that the rain has subsided, maybe the Buckeye State can enjoy the summer sunshine and higher temperatures… or as we call it in Los Angeles, “Wednesday”. Today’s soundtrack hearkens back to the halcyon days of the 80’s, before I had to actually pay for air conditioning. Back then, I thought that a Power Station […]

]]>Now that the rain has subsided, maybe the Buckeye State can enjoy the summer sunshine and higher temperatures… or as we call it in Los Angeles, “Wednesday”. Today’s soundtrack hearkens back to the halcyon days of the 80’s, before I had to actually pay for air conditioning. Back then, I thought that a Power Station meant something completely different…

Refreshing

Buckeye 411

Watching The Watched, Men- Following up from last week, we’ve got a few more Buckeyes on “watch lists” this week. Two thirds of the secondary is on the Thorpe Award list- Roby, Barnett, Bryant; while Corey Brown and Devin Smith were named to the counterpart Biletnikoff list. Ryan Shazier doubled dipped this week, being targeted for the Butkis and Lombardi lists; he joins Andrew Norwell on the latter.

“I ain’t drunk… I’m just drinkin'” I’m pretty sure that Marcus Baugh is not familiar with the work of Albert Collins; just as I’m sure that Mr. Baugh is going to be intimately familiar with the work of strength coach Mickey Mariotti following the news from this past weekend. If you hadn’t heard, Marcus was arrested for underaged consumption and use of another person’s identification– it sounds like a double dose of trouble, to be honest. If you believe message boards and whatnot, Baugh was brought back to his dorm when initially confronted by police; he chose to return to the party and use another student’s ID when confronted a second time. We’ll continue to monitor this as it develops.

Urban’s Fault? With everyone jumping on the bandwagon to blame Coach Meyer for global warming housing bubble crash assassination of Archduke Firdinand the Aaron Hernandez situation, it was interesting to read an account of the Meyer legacy from someone who was actually there. You know, in stead of someone who’s digging for pageviews and interviewing disgruntled former players.

The Game, Junior- Since Pennsylvania backed out of their annual High School All Star game against Ohio’s best (I guess they couldn’t handle the annual loss, in spite of the shady officiating), That State Up North has stepped up the the challenge. As the OZone’s Tony Gerdeman notes, this event will see the best from Michigan and the best from Ohio play for bragging rights, beginning next year. Several of our twitter friends pointed out that this matchup will feature TTUN and OSU players against MAC Conference players- unless, that is, Ohio’s roster gives players to Michigan to make the game interesting. You know, just like in November.

Buckeyes Grow On Money Trees- Kyle Rowland from 11Warriors with a great article Tuesday morning about the spending habits in college athletics. Guess what? The teams that spend more are more successful.

Lineup- From Sammy Silverman, the front wall of the B1G’s best offense:

Commentary– Rule on Hits Misses.

One of the most disturbing stories this week is one that continues to highlight the changing face of football.

Both the NFL and the NCAA have highlighted concerns regarding player safety; concussion studies nationally (including work done by Ohio State and Nebraska) are continuing to point out the damage that the game can have on those who participate. Knowing what we’re becoming aware of, it would be unwise NOT to work to minimize the lifelong impact on players. This is particularly true at the high school and college level- we’ve talked before about the idea of health management and the NCAA.

This week, then, the B1G began to outline what this might look like as they are instructing officials in preparation for the season. The overview, while simplistic, seems to be “when in doubt, throw them out” (eject players). Here’s a conversation with the conference’s officials coordinator that outlines the new expectation.

The backlash was, well, predictable. As someone who played and coached football in addition to having my butt planted in front of the TV on Saturdays and Sundays, I echo the sentiment that these rules will be hard to manage, will have a greater impact than should be expected, and are part of a gradual change to college football becoming glorified 7-v-7 competitions played two hand touch or with flags. However, as I said in the article linked earlier- I understand the concern and realize that something needs to be done in this area.

While I find those issues concerning, I’m also worried about the national inconsistency that’s going to exist in this area. Look, I’m a believer that the B1G should be a Legend Leader in college athletics, but am worried that this emphasis, with the “when in doubt, throw them out” mantra, will effectively mean that the conference will be playing by different rules than the rest of the country.

For example- This was flagged by B1G officials in last year’s conference championship game, in spite of the fact that the hit in question occurred as part of the play in process:

This was not flagged by SEC officials in last year’s conference championship game, in spite of the fact that the hit in question occurred away from the play in process:

I’m sure you can imagine the impact (as it were) that this inconsistency might have- key players from one conference missing meaningful game time, to the point where games themselves might see their results changed, while other teams don’t suffer the same fate. Imagine if “holding” meant something different depending on who was playing… whoops, bad example, huh Wisconsin fans?

Given the current state of college football, the possibility of a one loss team making a playoff or a major bowl game is a reality; but what it there’s a two loss team who dropped a game where a player was controversially ejected at a key moment?

Another area where this might be an issue is during the postseason. Given that conferences provide officials for games not involving their programs, will a bowl game have issues where teams have to adjust to new interpretations or implementations of common rules? Arguably, we saw some of this during March Madness this past year- the B1G allowed for much more physical play during conference matchups, and in the Tournament many of the top programs saw early exists due in part to foul trouble.

We’ll continue to monitor this as the season progresses- I imagine that this will easily fit into Monday’s The Week That Were reviews. In the meantime, unless the B1G moves toward pressuring other conferences to work toward similar standards, it seems like a mistake to make such a potentially drastic move as sudden as it’s being implemented.

More Money, More Problems- We’ve discussed the “Sports Television Bubble” in this space before; that the money that drives conference expansion and athletics “narratives” comes from TV revenue, and that there are are some rumblings about this being a precarious proposition. If nothing else, it works against “journalism”, since networks are business partners with the programs and athletes they are covering. At any rate, three great articles this week about the finances involved and the impact on cable viewers- even those who (like some of us) no longer watch the Four Letter Network. Sports On Earth’s Patrick Hruby gives a great overview to the situation, while the Wall Street Journal adds their insight ($). Finally, Conference Expansion Guru Frank The Tank takes a different perspective and says that the issue isn’t as simple as folks might like to make it appear.

Meanwhile- Our friends at Fox Sports have a little something up their sleeves:

B1G Brothers

Pure… Iowa? Well, this is interesting. Although, I don’t blame them… have you actually been to Michigan?

Just… Stop- You remember the Freeh Report? The one the Penn State Board of Trustees commissioned and then signed off on? Wellsir, they’re now saying they don’t endorse it. Yup, there’s not a football-centered culture there. I’m still waiting to hear about the Cleary and Title IX violation results…

Someone’s Grumpy- Florida’s Will Muschamp, in particular, seems to still be digging out from underneath the Urban Meyer legacy, and took yet another subtle shot at the Buckeye program during his time at the microphone. Commenting that he was thankful (sarcasm alert) for his “friends from Ohio” helping ensure that the Gators were compliant with NCAA regulations, since “they certainly know a little bit about the subject”. Referring to the recent concerns regarding a player being “bumped” during a dead period (something that was discovered by an OSU person reading a national media story), Muschamp went on to seemingly talk about the Hernandez situation; holding that coaches are 100% responsible for the actions of their players.

And that’s a good thing, to be honest. I could write about the “scandal” of one of Urban Meyer’s former players making stupid decisions that were no one’s fault but Urban’s. But, that’s been covered and beat to death. Plus, it’s a non-story; the kind of thing that people write about when they’re waiting for college football to start providing real news.

I could take some time and speculate about the 15, 16, and 17 year old kids that may be considering coming to Ohio State for their “academic” careers, but I still think it’s a bit odd to spend a ton of time trying to figure out what they’re planning on doing in a year or so. Heck, I work with college students for a living and can’t figure out what they’re planning on doing for lunch most days (and we have Chipotle, In-N-Out, and Chick-Fil-A within driving distance).

One Nation…

This could be another place where I try to convince you that it’s all a house of cards; that the NCAA, the ideals of “amateurism”, and the idea of a “student athlete” are all broken beyond repair. That the game is more about money for everyone but the people risking their necks… although, there’s some money for them as well, which causes issues. But you should already know that… and, to be honest, it’s more fun to not think about it.

So instead, I’ll look toward the future and get excited about what’s to come. This is going to be an amazing season, and not just in Columbus… Just off the top of my head, the number of electrifying offensive players on the fields across the nation this year is as high as it’s ever been. And their counterparts on defense? Let’s just say that there are checks and balances on the other side of the ball as well.

In Columbus, the “quiet before the storm” is almost unbearable. Can undefeated continue? As someone who is a Cooper Era Survivor, I can’t help but get anxious about Cal, Northwestern, Wisconsin, and Michigan… and Iowa, and Penn State, and SDSU, and Purdue. You get the picture.

But that’s a good problem to have- and one of the reasons it’s exciting to be a Buckeye fan.

So, let’s just remember that “no news is good news” and spend the next month getting ready for an epic finale of the BCS era. Without stillness, there is no joy in the roar of success.

You Think There’s Hope-when you read about ESPN’s shrinking ratings… perhaps the rest of America has gotten tired of their schtick? For more on this, let’s get Lebron James’ take on Tim Tebow’s conversation with Brett Favre about Barry Bonds.

Uniformity- You’ve heard/seen about the new Ohio State look (now available at the Buckeye Room!!), and we’ve got something very very special planned for the coming few days… let’s just say that it will bring some Clairity. Anywho, Ohio State isn’t the only traditional power getting an update of their gear, as Texas is getting an update– minus the “Nike-lace”, but with the great TV numbers on the shoulders.